


draw some blood (i’m not going hungry tonight)

by miss_universe



Series: throw me to the wolves [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), BAMF Hatake Kakashi, Codependency, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Dynamics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Sasuke gets adopted, Slow Burn, Survival Training, Team as Family, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unreliable Narrator, because i know what i’m about, by wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-11-03 22:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17886026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_universe/pseuds/miss_universe
Summary: Sasuke is released from the hospital one week after — after. He is alone. (But not for long.)Sasuke is adopted by a lonely wolf. This changes everything.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to this fic. its probably going to be a dumpster fire with many incorrect things bc i haven’t watched naruto in years. i hope you enjoy this fic anyways tho!!!

Prologue

* * *

 

 

Sasuke is released from the hospital one week after — after.   
  
He is released to no one and he has to sign his own forms. He is alone, but he already knew that. He has to grab his clothes from the nurse, who blanches at the bloodstains that have dried on them. He has no other clothes, because no one is there to pick them up for him.   
  
_(Aniki used to — )_   
  
He doesn’t want to return to the ruins, because that’s what they are now, but he has no choice.   
  
_(“I did it for power — “ )_   
  
There is nowhere else for him to go.   
  
The person he ends up thinking about the most, more than his mother or father or _HIM_ , is his grandmother.   
  
_(“Oh, my poor boy.” She had said the last time he visited her, when he had complained about wanting a pet. “The hardships you face!” Mother had laughed at them._   
  
_She had given him two lemon bars before he had left, one for himself and one for —_   
_And then he —)_

  
Sasuke gets to the gate to his home _(only his —)_   
  
And stops.   
  
And then pushes the gate open and runs past his house, past Grandmothers, past Aunt Aneko’s and cousin Eris’s and scrambles under Cousin Shisui’s porch and finds the crack that allows him to go into the forest hiding behind his land.   
  
_(“Shh!” Cousin had whispered, a secretive smile on his face. “This is where me and your Aniki go to train. It’s a secret though! I wasn’t even gonna show you yet, but Itachi thinks you’re ready!”)_   
  
He keeps running, his feet getting torn open and bloody. He lost his shoes a while ago, but he can’t feel any pain besides the ache of his heart.   
  
_(Maybe if he runs far enough the ghosts won’t catch up to him.)_   
  
He runs for what feels like hours until he can’t anymore, his tears _(when did they get there?)_ making him unable to see. He stumbles and falls down onto the forest floor, heaving out messy sobs.   
  
_(Father Mother Grandma Cousin Aunt ANIKI —)_   
  
He cries and screams and curls himself into a ball, his face a mess of tears and snot and a bit of blood.

He is a mess.

  
He lets out his grief and anger on the forest. His tears slowly come to a stop, but he doesn't move from the ground. He sits there, listening to the forest around him, sniffling on occasion.   
  
The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. There are no clouds in sight. The animals are slowly making sounds in the forest.

  
_(His family is dead._ )   
  


 

  
  
He doesn’t know when he fell asleep, but he wakes up when something cold and wet brushes him arm.

  
His eyes fly open, muscles tensing and ready to lash out, punch whatever it is that touched him —   
  
then stops and blinks.   
  
It is a large, all white wolf who is staring into his eyes. Its eyes are a piercing, gleaming hazel.   
  
Sasuke freezes, his breath coming out like a punch. He will die here, not from HIM but from a wild animal. _(He doesn’t know if he likes that or not. )_   
  
The wolf doesn’t attack him, however, just looks at him with a steady gaze. His lungs burn from not breathing in, but he can’t risk making any movement. He hopes the wolf will make it quick.   
  
He closes his eyes and breathes in one last time.   
  
The wolf rumbles, and he can feel the vibrations of its body where its brushed up against his leg. He can feel it moving, and he’s scared but also ready —   
  
“Pup.”   
  
Sasuke's eyes snap open. The wolf looks at him and repeats the word in a gruff, husky voice, “Pup.”   
  
The wolf nudges his knee down from his chest so it lies flat on the ground, then rests its head on his lap. Its eyes close.   
  
“Ah?” He breathes out, hands shaking. “D-do you need help finding your pup?” He asks quietly, his heart hammering in his chest.   
  
“Hmm. No.” The wolf replies, then nudges its head so it’s underneath his hand. Its fur is soft. He finds himself petting it. The wolf rumbles happily and flicks its ears.   
  
“I - I don’t understand.” He admits, his eyes stinging. Is he not going to die?   
  
“My pup now.” The wolf says happily, almost purring when he scratches behind its ears. “No pack. Same as me. Mine now.”   
  
Sasuke sniffles, holding himself still for a minute, two, then breaks and curls into the wolf and sobs into its thick white fur.   
  
“O-okay.”   
  
  
_(Kenta is older than most, but still young in terms of his species. His pack has left in one way or another, either by teeth and claws and blood staining the ground or by finding a stronger pack and parting amicably. Either way, it is only him now, and so he stalks the forest, finding just enough food for himself without the two-legs noticing. For warriors they don’t seem to notice what’s right under their noses, or they just don’t care. A pack of warriors who seem unable to properly function. But this helps Kenta, so he doesn’t judge them too harshly._   
  
_He wakes at dawn and smells blood from inside the walls. The scent of lightning-burning-salt fills his nose and he sneezes. The pale warriors of the pack-inside-a-pack must have died. A shame. One of the pups had given him water once, when his throat had been parched and he was wheezing for breath._   
  
_After a few days, he hears branches snapping and loud wails and the slightly familiar scent of lightning-burning-salt. He follows the scent silently and listens to the devastated cries as he gets closer. He peeks through the bush to see who is making that sad noise._   
  
_It is a pup from the pack-inside-a-pack. The pup reeks of loneliness-blood-pain and Kenta watches as the pup tires himself out by crying._   
  
_When the pup is asleep, Kenta stops and thinks. He could leave, he knows. No one would blame him. If he stays, he will become the pups wolf, like he was before he had found the forest. He would have to kill and maim and scar, which is not ideal._   
  
_But._   
  
_If Kenta stays, if Kenta walks to the pup..._   
  
_That pup would be his._   
  
_Kenta has always liked the pups more than anyone in his pack._   
  
_He stays.)_   


  
  
  



	2. Chapter One

Sasuke is unsure of what to do now. The wolf has...adopted him, but he doesn’t know what that means.    
  
He hasn’t even introduced himself. Mother would be appalled.    
  
“My name is Sasuke Uchiha.” He says into its thick fur, voice muffled by it. He hopes the wolf heard him, he won’t be able to say it again without crying.    
  
_(The last Uchiha — but not quite.)_   
  
“Kenta.” The wolf replies, shifting its muscles so its muzzle is resting on top of Sasukes head. “Used to be warrior-wolf. Then just wolf. Now warrior-wolf again.”    
  
Sasuke...doesn’t know what that means. Warrior? The closest thing they have to a warrior is —    
  
“You were a ninken.” He says softly. “That’s why you can talk. But then you were a regular wolf. And now...you’re offering to be my ninken?”    
  
Kenta growls low, the vibrations from its throat giving Sasuke something akin to a head massage. “Mm. Pack, not ninken. Won’t go away.”    
  
Sasuke likes the sound of that. “Okay. Are you a boy or a girl?”    
  
Kenta chuffs in amusement. Sasuke doesn’t know why.    
  
“I am male, pup.” Sasuke doesn’t want to admit he feels relieved, but he does. Girls are weird.    
  
“If you’re pack, does that mean you’ll come home with me?” He asks, his voice wavering. He doesn’t want to admit it, but the thought of going home alone sends him into a panicked state of mind.    
  
Kenta grunts, lifting himself off of Sasuke slowly. Sasuke flexes his fingers in an attempt not to grab onto his fur and cling. Kenta is getting up, does that mean he — “Mm. Pack stays together.”    
  
Kenta isn’t leaving him. That’s - that’s good. Sasuke tries to ignore his stinging eyes. He won’t be alone anymore, because Kenta said they were pack, and pack stays together. Not like a clan. Clans die. Clans leave you alone.   
  
Kenta stretches in front of him, his back arching, and Sasuke looks at him a bit more closely. Now that his vision isn’t muddled with tears, he can actually see Kenta as something other than a vague white-shaped dog.   
  
Kenta is huge. He’s almost as tall as Sasuke, his legs long and thick. He isn’t all white like Sasuke previously thought, because his fur is streaked with dirt and dried blood. His paws are almost completely brown. He has sleek muscles, though, he can see them even through Kentas thick coat of fur. His eyes are the same piercing hazel that Sasuke first saw.   
  
He looks dangerous. Sasuke wants to look that dangerous someday.   
  
“I guess we can go to my house. We need to register you — I know you’re pack and not ninken, but if they think you’re ninken they won’t take you away! But you need to get a bath first. You — you’re dirty, a little.” Sasuke doesn’t want to say he smells, either, but he does. A little.    
  
Sasuke is also dirty, he realizes as he looks down. His shorts are streaked with dirt and tiny twigs and grass. His shirt is the same. His hair, when he goes to run his hand through it, is tangled.   
  
Kenta doesn’t seem to take offense, just looks at him steadily and says, “I would like to see them try to take away my pup.”    
  
Sasuke almost cries again. He’s been crying a lot today, he realizes.    
  
When he finally pulls himself together he takes a step forward and hisses, the cuts on his feet making themselves known. They sting when he shifts his weight.    
  
Kenta grumbles and crouches down, his tail swishing to the side. “Get on, pup. Can’t walk if paws are torn.”    
  
Sasuke clambers onto his back, accidentally pulling some of his fur. “Sorry. And they’re not paws, they’re feet!”    
  
“Paws, feet, makes no difference. Use them to move, don’t you?” Kenta says. Sasuke supposes that’s true.   
  
When Kenta stands up, he has to struggle to stay on top of him. “You’re pretty big.” Sasuke says quietly, leaning down and hugging Kentas neck.    
  
“Not fully grown. Will be bigger.” Kenta replies, starting to trot through the forest. Sasuke gasps, his eyes wide.    
  
“Bigger than this? But how? Are you my age?” Kenta chuffs, following an invisible trail as he walks.   
  
“Bigger than this. Not your age, bigger. Different times of growth.”    
  
(Sasuke is going to have to teach him how to talk normally, he thinks. Sometimes he doesn’t understand what Kenta tries to tell him. But that’s okay, because Kenta isn’t leaving like mother and father —)   
  
“Okay.” He finally says after a moment of silence. He’s tired, though, a kind of tired inside of him that stretches to outside of him. “Do you know where we’re going?”    
  
Kenta grunts. “Follow scent-trail. Will wake you when we get to your den.”    
  
“Our den.” Sasuke corrects sleepily, tightening his grip as he nuzzles into Kentas neck.   
  
“Our den.” Kenta repeats, and Sasuke closes his eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“No.” Kenta says, loud enough that the growl awakens him. The sudden shift from sleep to alertness making Sasuke shoot up and tilt on Kentas back. He has to squeeze Kentas middle to sit up straight, making the large wolf grumble.

  
“N-no?” He repeats dumbly, letting go of his deathlike grip on Kentas neck. He rubs his irritated, swollen eyes and looks at his surroundings.    
  
They’re back in the compound.   
  
Sasuke feels nothing. _(He feels everything.)_   
  
“No. It smells like death.” Kenta says bluntly. Sasuke feels his heart stop. He grits his teeth and replies testily, “That’s because people died here. My family died in that house. My-“ He cuts himself off, aware that he’s shaking.    
  
“My family died. They’re gone. They died.” He repeats numbly. He’s alone. The last Uchiha. No more mother. None of her warm hugs. Her tomato soup on rainy days is gone forever, buried with her. _(Or burned? He doesn’t know. No one has told him what they did with the bodies.)_ She had smelled like fancy perfume, sharp flowers that sometimes made him sneeze.    
  
The pink yukata with pastel blue spirals she liked to wear so much, that he spent hours just tracing the circles with his finger, he will never see again.   
  
His proud, strong father. Who had taught him how to write. Who let him sit in his study, curled into a ball by his bookshelf, reading tales of ancient heroic ninjas. Who had never praised him much, but when he did he lit a fire inside of him that was nearly unquenchable.    
  
They were gone. They died in that house.   
  
_(Is the blood still there?)_   
  
“Pup.”    
  
Kentas voice brings him back to himself, and he gasps, his burning chest letting him know he wasn’t breathing.   
  
“Go inside. Grab covers. Grab food. Grab body fur. Grab...” He hesitates, and Sasuke watches as his paw draws a triangle into the ground.   
  
“A tent?” He asks, and Kenta nods sharply. Sasuke is already getting better at understanding him. Kenta wants him to grab blankets, food that hasn’t gone bad yet and clothes. And a tent. Kenta won’t make him stay inside the house that is now a graveyard.    
  
Sasuke already loves Kenta. That’s - kind of scary. What if Anik- _Itac-HE_ comes back and kills Kenta too? Because Sasuke loves him?   
  
“Will you go with me?” He asks, because if Kenta leaves his sight he might disappear. And then Sasuke will be alone for good and that’s —   
  
He doesn’t want to think about that. He refuses. Kenta is here, he can feel the inhale and exhale of the powerful wolf underneath him. Kenta is breathing and alive and he said that pack stays together. Kenta won’t leave him, won’t let _HIM_ kill him.   
  
“Mm.” Kenta does that a lot, Sasuke notices. He doesn’t like to talk much. That’s okay. Sasuke doesn’t feel like talking much either.    
  
He waits for Kenta to crouch back down and then slides off of him, but keeps one hand buried inside of his thick fur. He won’t let go. He can’t.

* * *

 

Sasuke opens the back door to his house.    
  
It is dead silent, except for his raspy breathing and the sound of Kentas claws clacking on the hardwood floor.    
  
Mother does not welcome him home.    
  
_(He has no home. HE took it with him when HE left.)_   
  
“Pup.” Kentas voice breaks the hold the silence has on him, and he looks at his wolf. Kenta is watching him back. There is no pity in those hazel eyes, just a steady calm. It helps lower Sasukes heartbeat from the breakneck speed it was going.   
  
“Tent.” Right. He’s on a mission. He has to get the tent. Where would a tent be in his house?    
  
“It - it would probably be in the attic.” He says shakily. The attic has always made him uneasy. Cousin once tricked him into going up there, saying there were ghosts.    
  
If he was lying then, he’s not a liar anymore.   
  
“Then go.” Kenta says. Right. Can Kenta climb up the ladder that swings down? Will Sasuke have to go up there alone?   
  
He makes his way into the hall and stretches onto his tiptoes, grabbing the chain that hangs from the ceiling and pulling the way he saw his mother do. The door swings open, the ladder meeting the floor with a harsh bang.   
  
Sasuke flinches at the loud noise. Kenta rumbles soothingly behind him and pushes him towards it.    
  
Sasuke doesn’t want to go up without Kenta.   
  
“Will you still be here when I come back?” He whispers, his grip tightening on Kentas fur.    
  
“Pack stays together. Doesn’t leave.”    
  
That answers that then. He grabs onto the second rung and starts climbing.

He doesn’t stop to look around, just starts tearing through boxes to find the tent. If he looks at his family’s possessions he will lay down and not get up. He can’t do that. Kenta is waiting for him.   
  
After slowly getting more frantic and sloppy, he finally finds it. It is a dark blue with the symbol of the Uchiha fan on the side. He grabs it and tucks it under his arm after making sure the stakes are folded inside of the fabric, then climbs back down the ladder. It’s hard to climb with one arm, but he manages.   
  
Kenta is still waiting for him, laying down at the base of the ladder. He didn’t leave. Sasuke isn’t alone. He can breathe properly again.   
  
“I got it.” He says, showing Kenta the bundle under his arm. Kenta nods approvingly, giving him a nuzzle as a reward. It’s nice.    
  
“Covers.” Kenta says, getting his mind back to the mission.    
  
“Blankets.” Sasuke corrects, making Kenta snort. That’s okay. Sasuke doesn’t like it when he’s wrong either. Besides, Kenta is a wolf. Even though he was a ninken, when Sasuke met him he was a wolf. Wolves probably didn’t speak human to each other. It’s okay if Kenta is rusty.   
  
“Blankets and clothes are in my room.” Sasuke says, leading his wolf through the quiet house. It’s like a graveyard. It is a graveyard.   
  
“Clothes.” Kenta repeats. It could possibly mean to be a question, but theres no inflection at the end. Sasuke decides to treat it like one anyway.    
  
“You called them...body fur.” He says, opening the door to his room. “Humans call them clothes though. Clothes makes more sense than body fur anyways, because I don’t have any clothes made of fur. And I don’t have any fur on my body either.” He pauses in his blanket gathering. “Unless you count the hair on my head. But I don’t think that counts.”   
  
Sasuke gets a backpack from his closet and starts stuffing the blankets and clothes inside of it. He debates on bringing his pillow, but eventually makes sure it fits in there too.   
  
Kenta just watches him, not replying to his babbling. That’s fine. Sasuke wouldn’t know what to say to himself either.   
  
“Food now, right?” He asks, giving Kenta a sideways glance and watching as the big wolf nods his head. Sasuke swings the backpack over his shoulders and walks out of his room, listening to Kentas pawsteps behind him.    
  
Sasuke pauses. To get to the kitchen, he will have to walk through the living room.    
  
_(Has the blood stained the floor? Will half of the floor be darker than the rest?)_   
  
His breathing stutters. Kenta huffs from behind him, then nudges him so his hand is once again holding tightly onto the scruff of Kentas neck.   
  
“I can smell food. Close your eyes. You do not have to look.” Oh.    
  
Oh. Kenta will lead him from the hallway to the kitchen, so he doesn’t have to see where his family was slaughtered in front of his eyes.    
  
That’s nice of him.   
  
Sasuke closes his eyes. Kenta starts to move, and Sasuke quietly walks beside him. He can’t see anything. Kenta can, probably. They would be running into stuff if he couldn’t.    
  
That’s okay though, because he knows Kenta won’t tell him if the floors are stained. Kenta won’t make him look.    
  
“In food space now, pup. Open your eyes.” Kenta says. Sasuke opens his eyes. The kitchen is the same as it has always been.    
  
That is not a comfort.   
  
“Kitchen, Kenta.” Sasuke replies, already moving to the cabinets and scavenging through them. A lot of crackers. Some cookies. Both were for Cousin Shisui when he came over.   
  
Sasuke puts them in his backpack. They are his now. Everything is his now.   
  
He wishes they were still Cousin Shisui’s.   
  
He finds strawberry jam and thinks about leaving it there because he doesn’t like sweet food, but then notices the wild, hungry way Kenta is eyeing it and slips that into his bag too.    
  
It’s been a week. All the food in the fridge is probably bad by now.    
  
Sasuke checks anyway.   
  
The smell coming from it makes Kenta sneeze three times in a row, big sneezes that make his fur stand on end.    
  
Sasuke smirks at that. A tiny one, but he can feel his lips curl in amusement. He straightens them immediately after noticing.   
  
The food is bad, just like he expected. If it smells bad to him, he can’t imagine what it smells like to Kenta. He read once that dogs have more sensitive noses. Poor Kenta.    
  
He goes to close the door, but something green catches his eye. It is a brand new package of tomatoes. Not rotten or spoiled. New.   
  
Sasuke doesn’t know what to think about that, so he stops thinking about it and just grabs it.   
  
His bag is full by now, so even if he did find anymore food he couldn’t fit it all. Instead of going through the living room again to exit the house, he opens the window.    
  
“It’s a big window. You can maybe fit through it.” Sasuke says to Kenta, eyeing it critically. Kenta huffs and wiggles his way through it, growling in his chest the entire time. He loses a bit of fur.   
  
Sasuke smirks again as he climbs out after him.

 

* * *

  
  


Kenta decides to set up camp behind Grandmother’s house, so they can see the travelers on the main road but the travelers on the main road can’t see them.    
  
Sasuke has a hard time setting up the tent, because the last time he did it, HE was there to help him. And Cousin Shisui.    
  
Neither are here right now.    
  
_(Is he a traitor if he wishes either of them were? Of course he is. Don’t be so foolish little brot—)_   
  
Kenta digs a small pit and tells Sasuke to go collect small branches before the moon rises. Sasuke does. It’s sunset now. The sky is pink and orange and purple and red. The birds are still chirping. He can hear a squirrel scrambling up a tree to his left.    
  
_(His family is still dead.)_   
  
By the time the sky is completely dark, the tent is up, the tomatoes, a bag of crackers and a jar of jam have been eaten, and there is a small fire in front of them. Kenta is curled around Sasuke, sharing his warmth and protecting him. Sasuke is comfortable.   
  
Kenta still has some strawberry jam around his muzzle. Sasuke giggles when he tries to lick it off.   
  
Kenta decides to lick Sasukes face instead. Sasuke squirms and laughs, for the first time since — since. When Kenta finally stops to let Sasuke breathe, Sasuke lets his head rest on his shoulders.    
  
“Tomorrow we need to take baths. And visit the town. I don’t - I don’t know how to get any money or groceries. Or how to register you as a ninken.” He says softly. Kenta rumbles an agreement, shifting so Sasuke is pressed against his stomach.   
  
“Stream in forest.” Kenta says. 

Sasuke wrinkles his nose. “It’ll be cold though.” Sasuke isn’t used to cold baths.   
  
Kenta opens one eye and looks at him with an amused glare. “You want to be warrior when you grow.” It is one of those not-questions he does, and Sasuke nods but corrects, “Ninja. But yeah.”   
  
Kenta closes his eye and says, “Ninja then. Ninjas take baths where they can. You want to be ninja, you learn to wash wherever.”    
  
Sasuke sees his point. “Okay.” He agrees. “Tomorrow then.” He yawns and closes his eyes, already halfway asleep.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sasuke is hardcore disassociating in this chapter, poor guy. also you might be wondering why sasuke is so attached to kenta already, and my response is that sasuke is an eight year old who has had no interaction with anyone except for nurses since the massacre. so he’s latching pretty hard onto kenta. i hope that makes sense! also it’s a big, floofy doggo. of course an eight year old is gonna hang onto him.
> 
> chapters are every two weeks!
> 
> leave some kudos or comments if you enjoy!


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch me on tumblr @missxuniverse
> 
> this chapter is uploaded early just bc i’m thirsty for validation

Sasuke is shivering as he grabs a shirt and pants from his bag.  
  
Kenta woke him up just before dawn with a nuzzle by shoving his cold nose into Sasuke's ear and breathing out hot air.  
  
When he had pouted at being woken up so early, Kenta had said, “We have mission. Mission important. Ninja have missions and get less sleep. You want to be ninja, you wake early.”  
  
Sasuke couldn’t exactly argue with that.  
  
“Hey Kenta,” Sasuke calls from inside the tent, grabbing some boxers before joining his wolf. “Can I - can I ask what happened? To make you live in the forest?”  
  
Kenta stares at him with those unnerving hazel eyes, then snorts and starts walking towards the secret opening to the forest. Sasuke scrambles to catch up to him without dropping any of his clothes on the ground.  
  
“Mm.” The wolf rumbles, the sound contemplative. “You may ask. I may not answer. I will also ask. You may not answer.”  
  
Sasuke struggles to translate that for a minute, then snaps his fingers. “For every question I ask, you get to ask a question. Is that what you’re trying to say?”  
  
Kenta looks proud, his side brushing lightly against Sasuke. “Smart pup.” Sasuke's insides feel like they’re glowing at the praise. Being complimented is always nice.

  
“So...you were a ninken? But your ninja isn’t around anymore. That’s how you got to the forest.” Sasuke hesitantly starts. Kenta nods once, his gaze focused on the forest in front of them.  
  
“My turn. Why want to be ninja?” The wolf asks, and the question makes his stomach turn. Sasuke lowers his eyes to focus on his tattered shoes. Kenta must have picked them up on the way back while Sasuke was sleeping, or went back for them before he woke up.  
  
“At first it was because almost all the Uchihas were ninjas, and I wanted my father to be proud.” Sasuke says quietly. The forest is almost completely silent. The sun hasn’t come out into the sky yet, but the darkness is slowly lifting.  
  
“But now - now I need to get strong. To kill the person who killed my clan. My - my family.” He continues, feeling like he’s confessing a sin.  
  
Kenta makes a small noise. “Your littermate.” There’s only one response to that.  
  
“Yes.” Kenta hums, seemingly lost in thought.  
  
“What about the other one?”  
  
Sasuke's eyes snap to Kenta, wide and starting to burn. His heart feels like it’s going to explode. He must have misheard. “What - what do you mean?”  
  
Kenta huffs and stops in his tracks, turning so he looks Sasuke in the eyes. “Two scents with your pack blood on them. Not one.” And that —  
  
Who —  
  
Itachi had help with the slaughtering of their family.  
  
Sasuke's eyes burn and he leans behind a tree, emptying out the contents of his stomach violently. It’s mostly bile. He didn’t have breakfast yet. Kenta had said they would eat when they got back.  
  
“O-oh.” Is all Sasuke can think to say. Why would Ita- _HE_ have help, if it was about power? He consciously decides not to think about it. He is already about to start crying. He doesn’t want to think about it.  
  
“Mm. We will be strong pack. Will be able to take down any prey. Why go after specific prey?” Kenta asks, making Sasuke's stomach burn. Anger rolls inside him and he flushes, his hands clenched into tiny fists, “Because! He killed - he killed my family! My pack! All of them, even the babies! I had to watch again and again —“ and his voice breaks and his knees give out and he crumples to the forest floor, his clean change of clothes falling into a disheveled pile.  
  
Kenta makes another one of his rumbling sounds as he presses closer, cocooning him into his warm embrace. “Tell me.” Kenta rumbles into his ear, voice low, and so Sasuke does.  
  
In slow, halting words, occasionally paused by gagging, Sasuke tells Kenta what happened that night. How he had been walking home, and even before he got to his house he saw bodies littering the street. How scared he was when he came inside, thinking they were all dead, only to find Itachi with a sword dripping in blood.

He tells him about how Itachi had taunted him, calling him weak, and how Sasuke saw their parents blood creeping closer to his knees when he was kneeling in horror. He tells him about remembering his brothers eyes meeting his and then being forced into relieving the scenes of their deaths over and over and over again. He tells Kenta about how Itachi didn’t even bother to kill him, because he wasn’t even worth the effort. He had a two-year old second cousin. She died. Itachi killed a baby but he didn’t kill Sasuke and Itachi told him to hate him and he does but —  
  
But Itachi had been Aniki for eight years. And he still loves him a little, still considers him pack a bit, because his heart hasn’t caught up to his head yet and it doesn’t know any better. He tells him that he hates that part of him.  
  
He tells Kenta about the trick of the moonlight on Itachi's cheek, disguised as a tear.  
  
Kenta just listens as the words crawl out of his throat, his eyes looking like fire when the sunlight reaches them.  
  
Once Sasuke is done, he is exhausted. Tears and snot have dried on his face.  
  
He really wants a bath. Or a nap.

  
Kenta doesn’t say anything for a while. They just sit in silence and listen to the forest moving around them.  
  
Kenta is the first one to break the silence in a quiet voice. “Your pack is gone.” He says, and the words are heavy. He says it and it rocks Sasuke to the core. When Kenta says it, it becomes a declaration of fact. The truth finally sinks in.

_(His pack is gone.)_

  
Kenta watches him with bright eyes before continuing softly. “I am not old pack. But I am new pack. I will protect you. You are my pup. Not alone.”  


_(His family is gone, but he is not alone.)_

  
Sasuke finds that his lip is quivering. He lets out a shaky sob and launches himself at Kenta, burying his face into the wolf’s fur, whimpering and shaking.  
  
In just a few short sentences, Sasuke's priorities and goals have shifted deep down in his bones.  
  
“I’ll protect you too.” He mutters, voice muffled by fur. “I’m gonna get strong, so our pack can be strong, so we can protect each other. I won’t let anyone hurt us either.”  
  
Kenta allows the embrace for a while, then shakes his fur agitatedly. “Pick up...clothes.” He says, stumbling over the new word. “Bathing time.”  
  
Sasuke wipes his nose with his dirty sleeve and nods, picking up the clean clothes after shaking the dirt off them. He follows Kenta deeper into the forest and feels—  
  
He _feels_ . 

 

* * *

 

  
  
The stream Kenta has led them to is cold. It is like ice against Sasuke's sensitive skin when the breeze carries. His teeth chatter as he rubs off the grime and dirt of yesterday, already feeling a bit better than before. Cleaner.

  
His eyes fall on Kenta, who doesn’t have hands to scrub the grime off himself. Some of the mess on his fur has been carried away by the fast-flowing stream, but not all of it.  
  
“N-need help Kenta?” He asks, making the proud wolf huff but swim closer. Sasuke starts running his fingers through the soggy fur, watching in fascination as streaks of red and brown come off and flow with the stream.  
  
“You were really dirty.” He says, making Kenta thump his tail against the water, splashing him. Sasuke squeals and sputters angrily, making his wolf chuff in amusement.  
  
Sasuke doesn’t know how long he stays in the stream, but it’s long enough that the water isn’t cold anymore and the sun is peeking through the trees. A warm breeze greets him as he stumbles out of the water, Kenta right behind him.  
  
Kenta shakes his fur, sending water droplets everywhere. Sasuke huffs at him. Kenta doesn’t seem to care.  
  
“We need to find a way on how to explain you.” Sasuke says, quickly putting on his clothes. He’s dried off for the most part, even if some of his clothes are wet enough to stick uncomfortably close to his skin. They will dry with time.  
  
After Kenta gives him a questioning look, he elaborates, “I don’t think the Hokage would be happy if I just said I found you in the woods.”  
  
Kenta snorts, giving him the evil-eye. “ _I_ found _you_ , little pup.”  
  
Sasuke makes a face at him, sticking his tongue out. “You know what I mean. We can’t say you were a Uchiha ninja’s ninken, either, because you would already be registered. I guess - I guess we can say you were one of my Aunt’s pets. She wasn’t a ninja. She was a civilian.” But she was cut down too. Not being a ninja hadn’t saved her. He frowns at his feet.  
  
“Mm.” Kenta gave a little hum, bumping into Sasuke's side as they started walking. “Fine. But not pet. Pack.”  
  
Sasuke bumps him back, putting his hands in his pockets. “Duh. But they don’t know that.” Kenta grumbles under his breath but doesn’t reply, and they walk in silence. 

 

* * *

  
  
The villagers are staring at them. Sasuke can feel his skin itching. Their eyes follow his every move. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up at their surveillance, and he slouches his shoulders.  
  
Kenta seems to be uncomfortable too, judging by his slightly flattened ears. He crouches down and Sasuke gets on his back immediately, burying his face into his neck and using his thick fur as a shield from their pitying gazes.  
  
They seem wary about the wolf. Good. It shows that no one will mess with them or their little pack of two. Kenta is the real danger right now. That’s okay, Sasuke is still young. When he gets bigger, he’ll show that he’s just as dangerous.  
  
“Take that road.” Sasuke whispers into Kenta’s ears, pointing towards the Hokages tower. If his finger shakes, Kenta is kind enough to ignore it. He follows Sasuke's directions.  
  
“Hokage is alpha?” Kenta asks him, his voice low. Sasuke shrugs. “I guess. Don’t really see him that much. But his job is to protect the village.”  
  
_(He didn’t protect Sasuke’s family.)_  
  
Kenta grunts in response. “Village... is pack?”  
  
Sasuke shakes his head. “No...I mean...maybe? Depends on what a pack is. If it’s a bunch of people who live together, then yeah. If you’re talking about family, then no.”  
  
Kenta doesn’t reply to that, just continues to walk towards the Tower. It’s a big Tower. It looms over them, it’s shadow thick and wide. It’s intimidating, which is maybe the point.    
  
Sasuke gets off of Kenta with a sigh, his face twisting into a grimace. “Okay. You’ll stay by me, right?” He double checks. Kenta bobs his head in a nod, pushing him forward with his head.  
Sasuke gets the feeling that Kenta wants this over with as quickly as he does.

 

When Sasuke enters the Tower, he can see the workers stop what they’re doing to stare at him. He isn’t sure if it’s because of him or Kenta, but either way he doesn’t appreciate it. His face twists into a dark scowl.  
  
He marches up to the slender woman behind the desk and growls out, “I need the Uchiha money. And I’m here to register my ninken.”  
  
The woman gapes at him for a moment, then scrambles into action. “A-ah, right. Well, um,” Her face pales as she sees Kenta. Sasuke raises an eyebrow, frowning at her stuttering.  
  
“You see, we can’t actually give you the money until you are at least a genin.” The woman manages to say, her words twisting together. “You’ll be getting an orphan allowance until then. That comes every week. But here are the forms to register your...” She trails off, her eyes flicking from Sasuke to Kenta and back again.  
  
“Thanks.” He replies gruffly, snatching the papers and pen out of her hand. He isn’t going to provide her with any information that he doesn’t have to.  
  
He looks over the forms with a wary eye, checking to see what’s required of him.  
  
“Kenta,” He whispers, “What type of wolf are you? I gotta put down your species.” He feels a bit silly asking. He doesn’t even know his own packmate yet. But they did just met yesterday, so he won’t beat himself up about it.  
  
“Dire wolf.” Kenta says, his voice low and rumbly. A ninja with grey hair walks past them, whistling a tune loudly.  
  
“Okay.” Sasuke says, filling out the form with a shaky hand, his tongue peaking out from his mouth as he concentrates on spelling everything correctly. “I can’t get my old packs money until I turn thirteen. They’re giving me an allowance until then. So I guess we have to wait to get food.”  
  
“Psh. Teach you to hunt. No need for money.” Well, that would be nice, he supposes.  
  
“Can we hunt more tomatoes?” He asks, his stomach growling. Kenta huffs and nuzzles him. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve that, but it's nice all the same.  
  
“Hunt meat, pup. Deer. Rabbit. Birds.” That’s...less nice. He wants some tomatoes. He’s sure a vendor would take pity on him if he asked for one, but he doesn’t want pity food or to talk to anyone.  
  
“I guess.” He finally agrees, finishing off the paper before walking back to the front desk, slamming it down. The receptionist jumps, her eyes still nervously glancing at Kenta every few seconds. Sasuke conceals a smirk.  
  
“O-oh! Right. Um, here’s his hitai-ate! Have a good day.” She says, giving him a slightly shaky smile. Sasuke grunts in response, grabbing it and turning around sharply on his heel.  


He can’t seem to get out of the tower fast enough, his pace fast, almost at a run. Kenta trots beside him, steady and calm. He is the only reason why Sasuke is not breaking down.  
  
They walk quickly on the road back to the compound, trying not to draw attention to themselves. Well, Sasuke is trying not to. Kenta doesn’t look like he cares. While Sasuke is hunched down, his shoulders curling inwards and his hands in his pockets, Kenta stands tall and proud, his head high. A complete one-eighty from the way he was acting before. He looks regal and proud and a little dangerous.

Sasuke slowly uncurls from his defensive posture. He won’t give Kenta a reason to be disappointed in him.  
  
The walk doesn’t take too long because of the fast pace Sasuke had set, and before he realizes it they’ve returned to their camp.

Sasuke lets go of the tension he wasn’t aware of in his muscles and flops down onto the ground, sighing in relief. He doesn’t care if his clothes get dirty now, because he isn’t planning on going back out into the main part of the village for a while.  


“Ugh.” He says, scrunching up his nose and closing his eyes. “That sucked. Did you see the way they looked at us?” It was like they were evil or something.  
  
“Kenta?” Sasuke asks after Kenta doesn’t reply, sitting back up and opening his eyes. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Someone was here.” The wolf replies quietly, his hackles raised and his ears flat on his head. Sasuke follows his gaze to an innocent looking paper bag sitting right next to their tent. How did he not notice that?  
  
“Wha-“ Sasuke doesn’t know what to think about that. He doesn’t like the thought of someone coming into or near their camp, at all, but whoever it was left something behind for them. He will set up traps around their den later.  
  
“What’s inside of it?” Sasuke finally asks, tilting his head in curiosity. The wolf gives him a narrow glare, his face expressing incredulity. _How am I supposed to know?_ The look screams, prompting Sasuke into making a face at him.  
  
“Sheesh. I dunno, maybe you coulda smelled it or something.” Sasuke grumbles, standing up and walking over to it. It looks like a normal paper bag, no seals or strange chakra coming from it. He sends Kenta a questioning glance, and when the wolf doesn’t warn him against it, opens it.  
  
Inside the bag is his allowance for the week and a container of fresh tomatoes, the same brand that was inside the fridge before.  
  
“Um.” Is all Sasuke can think to say, his mind blank. He had only talked about his financial situation at the Hokage’s Tower, which meant someone — likely a ninja — had overheard and probably decided to take pity on the poor Uchiha boy.  
  
Normally Sasuke’s pride would demand he deny anything given out of pity, but it’s already too late. He can’t give them back, and he doesn’t want to waste food. The tomatoes look really good. He opens the container and is about to grab one when Kenta snarls, making him freeze.  
  
“Wait.” The white wolf growls out, his eyes locked on the fruit. “Might be poisoned. Will check.” Sasuke blanches and pushes the container towards him, watching as he sniffs it.  
  
It is easy to forget that Itachi might change his mind and come back to finish the job. It is easy to forget that he is the last Uchiha, and he might be a target for any number of things.  
  
“Eat, pup.” Kenta finally says after deeming them safe, and Sasuke grabs one of them, but with more caution this time. As he bites into his favorite food, he asks, “So you’ll teach me how to hunt?”  
  
Kenta bobs his head. “And how to be ninja. Was ninken, know things.” Sasuke beams at that, a pleased flush spreading across his cheeks.  
  
“Cool.” He says, then gets an idea. “You can help me become strong, and I’ll teach you to talk better. Deal?” Kenta pauses for a moment before agreeing. “Okay.” Sasuke says after swallowing the last bite of his tomato, wiping his sticky hand on the grass. It’s covered in tomato juice.  
  
“I need to go back to the academy in a couple days, so I guess you better teach me how to hunt now so I can bring lunch.” Sasuke decides, staring forlornly at the empty container of tomatoes. He’s still hungry.  
  
Kenta huffs in exasperation and starts to run into the forest, his tail wagging from side to side. Sasuke scrambles up on his feet and runs after him, laughing as he tries to catch up.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is gonna be a timeskip to the genin age!! are you excited? 
> 
> bloopers and outtakes:  
> __________________
> 
> sasuke at lunch at the academy: kenta brought me lunch
> 
> iruka: well that was nice of him :)
> 
> sasuke: yea. *pulls out hunk of raw meat from lunchbox* hey where can i start a fire
> 
> iruka: *softly but with great feeling* what the fuck
> 
> __________________
> 
> leave some kudos or comment if you enjoyed! see y’all in two weeks!


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, crying: pls,, stick to ur schedule,,  
> also me: lol nah
> 
> chapters will be posted AT LEAST every two weeks bc apparently i can't control myself. 
> 
> have some kenta pov!

Kenta’s pup, he quickly comes to realize, is broken. The human boy smells like low-level pain and sadness almost constantly, the scent only dissipating when Kenta is nearby. While not exactly ideal, Kenta is fine with it for now, because he is not leaving his boys side anytime soon. He doesn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if he hadn’t decided to keep the pup, but he knows. His pup is already damaged as it is  _ with  _ him, he can barely stand to think of what his pup would become if he was completely isolated. 

 

Kenta’s new pack-mate also has a worrying little amount of self-preservation. He was going to sleep in the den-of-death, just him and the ghosts. He can’t even enter the den without shaking, and he thought Kenta would allow him to  _ sleep  _ there? No. Kenta can’t do anything about the spiritual scars his pup already has, but he can make damn sure there won’t be any new ones. So he makes his pup set up a den outside, makes sure it will be comfortable for him with blankets and deems it a fine nest. There are other predators in the forest, but when his boy brings it up Kenta is quick to assure him that he is the top predator and no animal will come into their camp.

 

They know that would be an instant death.

His pup is like a shadow, always close enough to reach out and touch his fur. Kenta wants to discourage this as time passes, but for now it is fine. The pup is new and getting used to his new pack while grieving his old one. The clinginess is understandable.

Kenta hasn’t talked the human language in quite a while, so his boy begins to teach him how to communicate more effectively. Kenta thinks the way he talks is just fine, but the pup likes teaching him, so he learns how to speak fluently again. It doesn’t take long, probably because he used to know it in the past, but he was never much of a talker to begin with, so he still doesn’t talk too much. His boy doesn’t seem to have a problem with it and fills the silences himself. That’s fine with Kenta. He likes to listen to his boys voice.

His boy is smart - smart to the point where he wonders if all pups are this smart, or if his is just special. Then he dismisses that thought, because of course his boy is special, he’s  _ Kentas  _ boy. Kenta only accepts the best. Obviously his boy is superior to all other pups. 

Of course, the pup is still a pup, so he has his moments of stupidity. He fusses when he has to get more clothes from the den-of-death and tries to insist on going in alone, he apologizes to Kenta for waking up screaming and is abnormally fussy about where he goes to the bathroom. He doesn’t socialize with any two-legs that Kenta can figure, or at least, none come by the first few nights. 

This means that his boy probably doesn’t have any two-legged friends. 

His boy tells him that his peers go to the academy to get training to become ninja, but he was never really social in the first place. He likes his teacher Iruka and his classmate Shino, but he never really talked to them.

A shame, Kenta thinks, but lets it go. He will have to pick and choose his battles carefully with this stubborn, prideful pup. He is already gaining Kenta’s personality traits, and he is unsure if this is a good thing or not.

As his boy talks, his stomach growls, and Kenta decides to start teaching his boy how to hunt. He will hunt for the boy until he learns to do it himself, but it is important that he learns it as soon as possible. If they ever get seperated, for any reason, he wants to be able to get back to his boy without worrying if he has starved. He can’t tell his pup the logic behind his reasoning, because his pup goes into a tailspin anytime he thinks Kenta will leave his side when he’s not going to the academy. 

When the boy comes home from the academy, he is instructed to go straight into the forest. From there, he makes his pup walk through the entire forest and only stops when he has the boundaries memorized. “This is our territory.” Kenta says sternly, and his pup listens with wide eyes. “I know every piece of our land, from the streams to the trees. You will too by the time I’m done with you.”

It takes a while, but his boy eventually does get familiar enough with the land that no matter where he is, he can find their den. 

From there he teaches his pup about the different animals that live there as well. He makes his pup look at all the living creatures, from the tiniest bugs to the grizzly that lives on the far side of their forest. “I’m gonna be able to take that bear out someday,” He breathes to Kenta, who is amused at his dedication. “Mm. We’ll see.” They leave the bear alone for now, but Kenta has no doubt its days are numbered. A wolf with a goal is a dangerous wolf indeed.

Kenta shows him the different squirrels, birds, deer and rabbits and where they are known to stay. He makes the pup memorize those locations too.

He tells his pup about how the wind moves and how to stay downwind so their prey doesn’t sense them. He shows him how to walk silently and evenly and how to cover his tracks. He shows him how to take down small prey and large, and makes him practice throwing his kunai so he is able to hit his target nine times out of ten, and instructs him to keep at it until he never misses.

Of course, when his pup manages his first kill, a plump brown rabbit, he is a mess. Kenta understands. This is his first time seeing blood since  _ that day _ , but that doesn’t change the fact that his pup will have to deal with it. “If you want to be ninja,” He tells him gently, “You will see blood. You will see death and cause death.” It is the truth, and even though his pup is young, better to learn now with a rabbit than later with a two-leg. “Do it with honor.” 

So for every kill they make, Kenta makes sure his pup thanks the forest for providing for their pack. His boy never  _ likes  _ hunting, but he is good at it, cleaning their kills quickly and using as much of the animal as he can. 

While Kenta is teaching his boy how to hunt, his boy is unknowingly teaching him about how the village operates.  _ Village  _ and  _ pack  _ are two wildly different things, he comes to realize, or at least they are for his pup. He thought the first trip to the Alpha-Hokage was maybe a fluke, but that turns out to be a false hope.

When they go into the village people stare, ranging from fearful to pity to awe. His boy hates all the looks equally. That is why he doesn’t want Kenta going to the academy with him, he confesses one night. His pup doesn’t want his future team to look at Kenta and make quick judgements, because if they do, he will punch them in the mouth and then Iruka will yell at him. 

Kenta is both slightly offended and very amused. “Sweet to protect me, Pup,” He says bemusedly, “but I’m the alpha of this pack. It’s  _ my _ job to protect  _ you _ .” His boy doesn’t like that though and stubbornly replies, “Has nothing to do with rank. Pack protects each other.” Kenta doesn’t say anything back, but it will be a cold day in hell when he allows his pup to protect him and not the other way around. Frustratingly, he thinks his pup is thinking the same thing.

So they don’t go into the village a lot, only to buy vegetables and fruits and occasionally more kunais when the old ones get dull. As nice as the shopkeepers and vendors act, Kenta is very much aware of how no one ever really  _ talks  _ to the pup.

As time passes, Kenta becomes aware that his pup is slowly growing, losing some of the fat on his cheeks. He is beginning to develop a bit of muscle, and when he says that the academy is starting to teach them about jutsus, Kenta declares that it’s time for the pup to start training. 

He remembers very little about chakra and specific jutsus, but there are two things he knows he can confidently teach his pup. 

Survival training and taijutsu. 

Survival training is obviously the most important, so he decides that he’ll teach his pup that first. The groundwork is already laid down, he’s already taught his boy how to be aware of his surroundings, and his boy knows how to kill.

Animals, of course, but still killing. His pup will not freeze at the first sight of blood, which is important. 

He takes his pup back to the forest every night and shows him the plants that lurk inside. Some, he explains patiently, are poisonous. Some can’t be touched, some can’t be eaten. He makes his pup memorize them, what they look like and smell like, and tells him in explicit detail what they’ll do to him if he mixes them together. Then he shows him the different berries that grow, the roots and mushrooms that are safe to eat and filling.

His boy has a mind capable of memorizing things easily, and soon his lunchbox becomes filled with cooked meat, roots and berries everyday.

The next thing he teaches is how to play dead. Not usually taught, seen as dishonorable. But Kenta doesn’t care about honor - he cares that his pup lives. So he teaches him how to sprawl right, how to make his limbs look like they’re stiff and makes him train his breathing to the point where it’s shallow enough to be mistaken as nothing.

He trains his pup to have the mindset of a predator, looking for weaknesses and being fierce. No mercy. Mercy is a privilege that most ninjas aren’t allowed to have. Mercy can - and will - have his boys throat slit. It is painful to tell his boy so, because his boy has a soft heart despite his past. 

But Kenta wants that soft heart to continue beating, so he teaches it anyways. 

Then he trains his boy to think like prey. Look for escape routes, be ready to run. Have your guard up  _ always.  _ He chases his boy through the forest and continues to do so night after night until his boy can manage to run for ten minutes without being caught or tripping over roots. 

He makes his pup look him in the eyes and puff his chest out, then makes him avert his gaze and show his neck. “Most two-legs,” He tells his pup, “won’t consciously recognize your body language. But subconsciously they’ll evaluate you. Show submission and they’ll underestimate you, show dominance and they’ll take a second look.” His boy looks like he understands. 

His boy learns to hide his scent by rolling in the dirt and smearing mud and animal skins over his clothes. He doesn’t like that lesson, of course, but he reluctantly admits that it is helpful when he tries to hide from Kenta. As if Kenta won’t ever find his boy, no matter how long it takes. 

Survival training is almost complete. His boy knows how to run, how to find food and water in the forest, how to disappear into the trees when the enemy isn’t looking. There is only one thing left to teach him, so he teaches him how to howl. Howling, he says, is for wolf packs and wolf packs alone. Different howls mean different things. A long, low howl means a packmate is injured. A short, sharp howl is informing your pack about where you are. Short, low howls are warnings of danger. 

His boy howls with him, and it is the closest thing to happy Kenta has ever felt. His boy is smart and knows how to survive. His pack is slowly but surely getting stronger.  

By the time his boy is eleven, he is ready to start taijutsu training.    

His boy knows the basics of taijutsu. Control of his breathing is essential, along with having an awareness of the body. He knows endurance, when he can push his body’s limits and when he actually needs to listen to his body and stop. At the academy, they have taught him how to throw a punch, how to keep his feet underneath him, and how to kick without falling to the ground. 

He says that they’ll teach him more as he goes, but he doesn’t want to wait. His boy sounds so impatient and demanding that Kenta jokingly calls him Little Alpha, and to his boy’s frustration and embarrassment it sticks. 

Kenta teaches him balance. He makes his boy walk on logs in the stream, so if he falls he has to swim back to land and start over. Then he moves onto rope, making his boy tie it between two trees and not fall to the ground. Finally, he moves onto wire. 

He makes his pup crouch, jump and spin on them until he doesn’t fall. Then he teaches him how to move fluidly, how to dodge like he’s dancing. Kenta enjoys this part, because he gets to swat at his boy. 

It is common now for his boy to be covered in dirt, scratches and bruises. He scowls when he comes home one day, saying that his teacher is concerned for him.  _ Then why does no one show up to check on you?  _ Kenta thinks, but never says. It would only hurt his boy even more. 

And - it’s not the honest truth either. Sometimes he’ll feel eyes on him and see a figure with a mask in the trees. It is the same scent from the gifts his pup has received, so he doesn’t attack, just keeps a close eye out and stays on guard. The visits lessen as his Little Alpha get older, so Kenta thinks his boys watcher is satisfied that Kenta is taking good care of him.

As if Kenta wouldn’t.

While he teaches his boy the basics of taijutsu, he becomes aware that his boy needs social interaction with people that aren’t him. His boy is lonely, even if he doesn’t quite know it himself. So he gives his boy a command: Make allies. What he actually means is make  _ friends _ , but actually saying that would make him pout.

So a few days later, Sasuke returns to camp with a small frown. “My classmate is going to come over tomorrow. I’m showing him the water-spiders that live on the lake. He’s into bugs.” It’s a question, even if it doesn’t sound like it, so he grants permission. 

“Do you want me to go with you?” Kenta asks, and his boy slowly nods.

When Sasuke returns the next day, following him is a tall, pale boy in a long coat with a high collar and black glasses covering his eyes. He has brown hair that sticks straight up and looks like he’s been electrocuted. He smells overpoweringly of bugs, and has no baseline scent. Kenta doesn’t want to admit it, but it startles him.

“Kenta, this is Shino. Shino, this is Kenta.” His boy says, and Shino inclines his head in a gesture of respect, and Kenta returns it. 

“I did not expect to see a wolf with you.” Shino says to his pup, but his voice has no surprise in it. “Why? Because I thought they were only rumors.” His pup shrugs.

“Kenta doesn’t go to the academy with me, and we don’t really go into the village anymore because I find food in the forest. We only go into town when I need new weapons or clothes. He’s registered as my ninken, but I guess nobody asked them.” He says, and Shino nods in understanding. 

“Anyways, come on, I’ll show you the water-spiders I was telling you about. They’re actually kinda cool, they look like they dance on the water…” His pup says, and they both walk to the lake, Kenta trailing after them. 

After that, Shino becomes a semi-regular appearance. The boys go into the forest and they search for bugs, and occasionally train together. They don’t talk to each other much, but the silence is comfortable, and Kenta can tell they’re becoming closer. 

His boy complains about the girls in their class, and Shino listens, occasionally commenting or complaining himself when one of their peers freaks out over an insect. 

Shino will sometimes stay for dinner, and his boy makes it a point to collect sap from the trees so his insects can eat too. Shino evidently appreciates that a great deal, because one day, he comes to their camp and tells them both that they’re going into the village. 

“What for?” His boy asks, scowling. Kenta knows his boy doesn’t really enjoy going to the village, but he is curious about what Shino is planning. 

“Why? Because you are being taught by a wolf, but you are human. We are going to get you claws.” His boy gapes at him, and only Kenta’s pride is stopping him from doing the same. 

“But - how?” Little Alpha asks cautiously, and Shino’s lips barely twitch. To him, Kenta has learned, that’s almost as good as a grin.

“Follow me. Why? Because I will show you how.” 

Kenta and his pup look at each other and decide to follow him. Kenta is curious, and he can tell his boy is too.    

The villages stare, as always, at the two boys and the massive wolf following them. Kenta hopes that this will be worth it, because he can see his pup is already regretting leaving the safety of their territory. After a few more minutes of the villagers gawking at them, Shino leads them to a small weapons shop, and his boy raises an eyebrow. 

“Come in, both of you.” Shino says, and with an encouraging nod from Kenta, his boy finally follows his friend inside the shop, the bell jingling as they enter. Kenta trails after them, sneezing as the scent of metal and oil hits his nose in a rush.

“Hold on just a sec!” A voice comes from the back, and his boy shifts uncomfortably on his feet. After a moment, a girl with two black buns on her head walks out of the back room, carrying a bundle of katanas in her arms. “Woo!” She chirps cheerfully, placing them on the counter before turning to the boys. Her face lightens when she sees Shino, and she greets him with a friendly, “Hey bug-boy! Who’d you bring-“ her voice cuts off as she sees Kenta, who just stares steadily back.   
  
“Holy shit.” The girl blurts out, her dark eyes wide. “So the rumors are true.” She shakes her head once, turning to smile at Shino. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course bug-boy would make friends with the wolf-child.” Then she makes eye-contact with his pup, smiling at him. “Hey, I’m Tenten. So what did you come here for? Kunais? Shurikens? Chakra wire?”    
  
His pup obviously is caught off-guard by the friendly girl and turns to Shino for help. Kenta huffs in amusement at his socially-inept boy.    
  
“Can you make arm-guards that come up to the forearm, with curved kunai attached to the fingers like claws? Why? Because Sasuke is a wolf-child, and should look the part.” Kenta blinks at the boy, surprised. Honestly, an ingenious idea, especially from a child. Based on the surprised but pleased look on his pups face, he seems to like the idea as well.    
  
“Oh, that sounds like an interesting challenge. Yeah, why not? Sounds fun.” Tenten says with a wide grin, then reaches out to grab his boy’s arm, pulling out a measuring tape and measuring his arm. “Hm. You’re kinda tiny right now, so we’ll make it a bit bigger so you can keep using them until you become a genin. Sound good?” She asks, and his boy just nods, obviously overwhelmed.    
  
After she writes down some numbers, she lets his arm go and beams at him. “Awesome! And hey - don’t tell my dad, but I’ll totally give you a discount if you let me watch as you train with them.”

His boy blinks, and with a subtle inclination of Kenta’s head, nods at her offer. “Fine.” He says, his voice soft. The girl grins and tells them that she’ll tell Shino when they’re done — apparently they live close to each other.    
  
And with that, Little Alpha gains another friend and a pair of man-made claws.    
  
Tenten comes by less often than Shino, but enough that Kenta memorizes her scent. She smells like metal and embers, a fitting scent for someone who is so well-versed with weapons. She brings his pup weapons almost every time she visits, showing him how to use them properly and how to take care of them.    
  
They don’t have to go to the village to get kunai nearly as often now, because the girl shows his boy how to sharpen his weapons so they don’t get as blunt with use. They spar frequently, and when Tenten expresses interest in becoming a medic-nin, his boy lets her try to heal his scratches and bruises.    
  
He still calls them allies instead of friends, but by now they know him well enough that they just laugh. Well, Tenten laughs and Shino gives off an aura of amusement. They’re good for his boy, and he’s good for them. Tenten has someone who believes she can become a medic-nin, and Shino has someone that doesn’t care about his bugs. After all, what are bugs compared to a wolf?   
  
When his pup turns twelve, Shino and Tenten give him gifts and bring him fresh tomatoes. Shino brings him a book on types of foods found in different climates, and Tenten gives him a backup pair of his claws.    
  
His Little Alpha won’t admit it, but he almost cries.    
  
Shortly after, Tenten becomes a genin. They don’t see her nearly as much, but when they do she always has entertaining stories to tell about her team. Kenta hopes he never runs Maito Gai, because he thinks he won’t be able to stop his boy from killing him. Or the  Hyuuga boy. Or Rock Lee.    
  
The rest of the year passes in a blur for them. Their days are filled with training and hunting, and his boy has started to try to make his own clothes using the furs he has. It’s slow going, but he refuses to give up. Before they know it, it’s time.    
  
Today, Little Alpha will meet his team. So Kenta, for the first time in five years, goes with his boy to the academy.

* * *

 

Kenta can feel their eyes following his every breath as he sits next to his pup, who acts oblivious, looking out the window. The whispers are loud to his sensitive ears, and he can hear them talking about him. They’re cubs, so he doesn’t get offended. His boy is another matter entirely, however, and he can see his tension clearly.    
  
His boy’s fangirls haven’t even tried to get close to him today, presumably intimidated by Kenta. That’s fine with him. The girls are young, so he holds no anger towards them, but they make his boy uncomfortable and that isn’t acceptable.    
  
“Okay, okay, settle down class.” The teacher says, his smile bright but clearly fake to Kenta’s trained eye. He keeps sneaking glances at him from the corner of his eye. Wary of the giant dire wolf his student has been claimed by.  _ Good, _ Kenta thinks bitterly.  _ Maybe your pack should keep a better eye on their pups.  _ __   
  
“Time to announce your genin teams! Team one...” Kenta tunes him out, because he has no care about the other pups. He only cares about  _ his  _ pup, and  __ maybe  the pups that will be on their team. He doesn’t care about the others classmates. He moves closer to his pup, huffing in satisfaction as his boy pets his fur absentmindedly. 

“...and Sasuke Uchiha!”    


Kenta’s head snaps up, his eyes immediately going to his boy’s new teammates. One is a girl with mid-length pink hair and stars in her eyes whenever she looks at the Little Alpha, but Kenta can tell she has untapped potential. He decides that he’ll help her if she proves to be worth it, but not until then. 

Their third teammate is a tan blond boy with whisker marks on his cheeks and bright blue eyes. Something about the way the boy moves is familiar to Kenta, shows the same marks of being a predator as his own boy now does. Kenta looks at him and can smell something, but he isn’t sure of what. He’ll have to keep an eye on that one, because when he complains, his voice loud and boisterous, his pup moves almost unconsciously to mirror his body language. 

Kenta looks at the three pups while they wait for their mentor and shakes his head once, huffing in amusement. The only thing he can currently think is:

_ God help the poor soul of who tries to teach these brats. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen,, i know i said this chapter would be a timeskip to the genin age,, and technically i didn't lie!! sasukes pov returns next chapter and we'll finally get his thoughts on his team + kakashi.  
> i couldn't resist the allure that is shino + sasuke friendship, or tenten + sasuke friendship. kenta just wanted his boy to have friends and wouldn't take no for an answer.   
> water-spiders are actually water-striders, but as a kid i always called them water-spiders. don't worry, shino corrected him very quickly.  
> the closest thing i could find to sasukes claws were black panther gloves, so that's a rough estimate of what they look like. 
> 
> bloopers and outtakes:
> 
> * * *
> 
>  
> 
> sasuke: kenta guess what i learned about today! gardens! gardens are to grow food!! do you know what this means?!  
> kenta, sighing in defeat: we’re going to hunt for tomatoes aren’t we  
> sasuke: we’re gonna hunt for tomatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
> 
> ______________
> 
> kenta: i’ve only had sasuke for a day and a half but if anything ever happened to him i would kill this entire village and then myself
> 
> ______________
> 
> sasuke trying to find allies: hm. who should i choose. *sees shino cradling a giant beetle in his hands as the rest of the class backs away from him* i want that one.
> 
> _______________
> 
> tenten: sasuke, i’m gonna be real with you for a sec. you’re cool and all, but i’m one hundred percent using you to get big floof cuddles.   
> sasuke: that’s okay, i’m using you to get a friends and family discount on weapons.
> 
> * * *
> 
>  
> 
> leave some kudos/comments if you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smh sorry it took so long, personal stuffs been going on!! got my ged, then my mom went to the hospital, etc etc. so my schedule is gonna be a bit outta wack. all i can do is promise i will never abandon this fic!!
> 
> *points up to that unreliable narrator tag*

Sasuke’s luck is terrible. 

  
Of course he’d be put on a team with the president of his fan club and the damn dead-last of the academy. Because of course he would. He wouldn’t have minded literally anyone else, except maybe the Yamanaka girl, who is practically as fanatic as the Haruno girl.  
  
The pink-haired girl, as far as Sasuke can tell, only has one goal and that’s him. She’s smart, obviously, because she was the top kunoichi in their class, but she doesn’t show it. Instead she flushes bright red whenever he so much as looks at her, and squeals when he pays a second of attention to her. It drives him insane and makes him ridiculously uncomfortable.  
  
Then there’s the dead-last. Sasuke is irritated beyond belief about that one. The blond always has a joke on hand, or a taunt, but as far as Sasuke can tell, doesn’t seem to put any effort into classes at all, instead choosing to prank people with a wild grin.  
  
How is this team supposed to help him get stronger? This is a joke.  
  
“Pff! We’ve been waiting for our sensei for like, two hours!” Uzumaki groans, slamming his head on the desk in front of him. It makes a loud thud, and he yelps in pain, rubbing his forehead with a grimace.

“Ugh, I’m on a team with an idiot.” Haruno grumbles, rolling her eyes at the blonds antics.  
  
_Oh yeah?_ Sasuke thinks bitterly, _I’m on a team with two._  
  
Kenta’s jaw cracks into a huge yawn, his sharp teeth gleaming as he rests his head on his paws, settling to lay down. Sasuke feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as green and blue eyes watch him.  
  
“Hey, hey, what’s up with the wolf?!” Uzumaki yells, pointing his finger at Kenta, his face scrunched up.  
  
Haruno, to his surprise, seems to agree with the idiot. “Ye-yeah, Sasuke-kun, wh-what’s it doing with you? Isn’t it dangerous?”  
  
Sasuke grits his teeth in anger. This was why he didn’t want Kenta going to the academy with him. It brings more attention to him, and people say stupid things. They called his Alpha an it, and assumed he couldn’t talk. Jokes on them.  
  
“Tch.” Is all Sasuke replies with, sliding out of his chair and leaning on his wolf as he sits on the floor. The warmth Kenta gives off is relaxing, and Sasuke closes his eyes. Kenta will keep watch, and it seems like they’ll be here a while waiting for their sensei.  
  
“Hey! Don’t ignore us, teme!! We asked you a question!” Uzumaki yells again, but Sasuke doesn’t care. Hopefully their sensei will realize what a failure this team will be and place them somewhere else.

Haruno hisses at Uzumaki to leave him alone, and Sasuke can feel their eyes on him. He hates it, it makes his skin crawl. Attention, he has realized over the years, is not a good thing. It brings too many questions.

 

The minutes crawl by, and they’re still alone. Their sensei is now officially late, something that apparently angers his peers.

“Eh, what are you doing?!” Haruno asks, impatience coloring her tone. Sasuke cracks open one eye and adjusts himself so he can see them. Uzumaki, the prankster, is putting an eraser on top of the door.

“That won’t work on a jounin, Uzumaki.” He finally says, closing his eye again and shifting closer to Kenta. Kenta rumbles grumpily at him and shifts so Sasuke can lay down more comfortably against him. He loves his Alpha.

“Pff. Just you wait and see, teme. I’ll show you.” The blond grumbles under his breath, sitting back down in his desk, watching the door like a hawk. Kenta huffs once through his nose and pushes his muzzle into Sasuke’s hair, breathing out warm air onto his head.

“Tch.” Is all Sasuke replies, wrinkling his nose. If their sensei falls for that, he must not be very good, which would be the cherry on top of the cake. His luck is terrible, so of course he would get a bad team and a bad teacher.

 

After a few moments, Kenta’s ear perks up. Although he makes no other movements, Sasuke steadys his breathing and intentionally relaxes his body. Someone is finally coming. He assumes it’s going to be their sensei, but he doesn’t move. They kept him waiting for over an hour, he won’t show any respect when none has been given.

 

He does open his eyes though.

 

The door opens, and the eraser falls on top of a head full of gray hair. Their squad leader is tall, Sasuke immediately notices, and has a mask covering the majority of his face. The only thing Sasuke can see is one of his eyes, the other covered by his forehead protector.

Even though his face is covered, he still somehow looks irritated. Sasuke can relate.

Uzumaki lets out a slightly incredulous and nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. Haruno is gaping, looking at their sensei with horror in her eyes.

“My first impression of you is...I don’t like you very much. Meet me on the roof.” And with that said, their teacher disappears into thin air.

“...what.” Is all Sasuke can think to say, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. Trust Uzumaki to make a terrible first impression on their teacher, making him hate them for the foreseeable future. With a deep sigh, he gets up onto his feet and leaves the classroom, Kenta yawning as he walks next to him.

Two pairs of footsteps follow behind him, Haruno hissing at Uzumaki under her breath about something or other, the blond attempting to appease her. Sasuke rolls his eyes in annoyance, sharing a glance with Kenta. He seems amused, if the small swishes of his tail are anything to go by.

 

He goes up the stairs with a sigh. Sasuke opens the door to the roof and is thoroughly unsurprised that their sensei is already waiting for them, sitting down with his head cocked to the side. Impatience is radiating from him, which Sasuke thinks is kind of impressive considering the only part of his face that he can see is one dark eye.  
  
He looks down at Kenta, who looks intentionally to the side before meeting his gaze.  
  
Ah, so their sensei is an alpha in his own right.  
  
Most humans are easily categorized as betas, similar to cogs in a machine. The only other types of human are alphas and lone wolves. Alphas have a certain dominance that is present in the way they move and carry themselves. It’s an instinctual thing, not something that Sasuke can fully understand, but he understands just enough to know that the man is not someone to be easily dismissed.  
  
He’ll have to pay close attention to him.

 

“Come on, sit down.” The man says briskly, motioning for them to come to him. They hesitantly sit across from him, quite a bit apart. Kenta, as always, sits close enough to Sasuke to touch. Sasuke sees the man’s eyes cut to his wolf before leaving again, face not giving any of his thoughts away. The man is a blank statue.

“Go on and introduce yourselves. Names, likes, dislikes, hobbies and goal for the future.” He says blandly, resting his chin on his hand. Sasuke’s eyebrows rise against his will. They don’t even know his name, and he’s asking them to introduce themselves, especially with personal things?

“Hey, hey! Not-uh, I wanna know who you are!” Uzumaki snaps, eyes narrow as he points a finger accusingly at him. Haruno nods, the first time she’s agreed with him for as long as Sasuke can remember.

“Yeah! You go first.” Haruno says, staring at the silver-haired man with clear suspicion in her eyes. The clear backbone she’s displaying makes Sasuke remember she’s the top kunoichi in their class. A shame that she can’t even have a conversation with him without squealing and blushing.

“Maa, maa, alright.” Sensei says calmly, his one visible eye crinkling up at the corners. “My name is Kakashi Hatake. Mm, I don’t feel like telling you about my likes or dislikes. My hobbies are personal, and I never really thought about any goals for the future. Okay! Now you guys go.” Sasuke feels Kenta let out a small puff of air in amusement, making Sasuke side-eye him with disapproval. No need to encourage their eccentric teacher.

“So he just told us his name…” Haruno mumbles, eyes dark and lips pressed together in annoyance. Sasuke grunts in agreement. _What a jackass._

 

“My turn!! My turn!!” Uzumaki says with a bright grin. “My name is Naruto Uzumaki!! I like ramen, Iruka-Sensei, and when Iruka-Sensei takes me out to get ramen!! I don’t like the wait it takes to cook ramen. My hobbies are eating different ramens!! And my dream is to become Hokage, believe it!!” He says enthusiastically, practically beaming with delight. Uzumaki, Sasuke is rapidly learning, has literally no chill. In any bone in his body. At all.

Kenta’s ears are perked, though, and he seems to be paying close attention to the blond. Sasuke tucks that thought inside to turn over later.

“Ah, guess I’ll go next, I guess!” Haruno says, smiling. The way she just flips from angry to cheerful within seconds leaves a shiver down his spine, although he doesn’t show it. When Sasuke is upset, he stays upset for a while. He’s never been one to have his emotions change at the drop of a hat.

“My name is Sakura Haruno! I like…” She trails off mid-sentence and gives him a besotted look, one that Sasuke ignores, keeping his eyes on his teacher. “My hobby is…” She trails off again, making Sasuke cringe on the inside. Holy shit, this was getting him more and more uncomfortable by the second. Kenta presses close to him, his fur brushing against his arm, and he exhales quietly, giving his a quick scratch behind his ear in gratitude.  

He doesn’t like her crush on him. It’s embarrassing, and it makes him really uncomfortable to have such attention focused on him like that. He doesn’t even like anyone, not like that at least, and even if he did, Kenta has already told him he’s not allowed to date for a very long time. A rule that Sasuke has no trouble following.

“My dream for the future is...!” Haruno cuts herself off by squealing, burying her face in her hands as she blushes. Kakashi looks even more unimpressed, if that’s possible. His eyes look dead inside.

 

Sasuke can really relate to that. A lot.

 

“And? What are your dislikes?” He prompts, and Haruno whips her head to glare at Uzumaki.

“Naruto!” She snaps, making the blond whine and pout. Underneath the blustering of the rambunctious kid is what Sasuke thinks is real hurt, although Sasuke isn’t surprised. With the way Uzumaki always snaps at him, talking about their ‘rivalry’ that Sasuke _never agreed to_ and the way he wants to constantly fight him even though he never retaliates, it makes sense that to Haruno he just looks like a bully.

Kakashi just stares off into space for a second, looking as if he’s regretting all his life choices. Sasuke is almost starting to like his teacher despite himself. He can really understand the pain behind that expression.

“Okay, last one.” Kakashi says, turning to him and cocking his head to the side. He feels three different pairs of eyes on him, making his blood turn to ice and stomach drop. Somehow he completely forgot that he would have to introduce himself too. _I’m a dumbass._

 

“Sasuke Uchiha.” He grunts out after a beat, shifting a little closer to his wolf. Kenta’s tail hits his back as he wags it, and he settles a bit. “I like Kenta. Don’t like the bear on our territory. My goal is to make sure I become stronger. Strong enough to -” He cuts himself off, lips pressing together tightly. His goal is to protect his pack, but he doesn’t want to say it out loud. Not to Haruno, who blushes whenever they so much as make eye-contact, and not to Uzumaki, who might use his goal against him in their one-sided spat.

Not to the silver-haired man who wears a mask. They don’t need to know anything about him. They aren’t pack.

Kakashi looks at him with an unreadable expression. Haruno wears confusion over her face, same as Uzumaki. They open their mouth, probably to ask questions, but a low voice interrupts them.

 

“Kenta.” The wolf rumbles, making the other three humans on his team stiffen. Even Kakashi does, eyes snapping to Kenta. _Ah, I forgot only Shino and Tenten know he can talk._ The thought makes him smirk, as petty as it is. “I like to hunt.” His tongue lolls out as he grins, making Haruno and Uzumaki’s eyes widen. “Don’t like people messing with my pup. Goal is to protect my pup.”

Sasuke feels his cheeks heat up a bit, his nose scrunching up as his Alpha calls him pup. He’s not a pup anymore, he’s a genin. He tried to explain that to Kenta before, but all he did was chuff at him in amusement and continue to call him pup. Some things aren’t worth the argument, especially if it’s Kenta he’s arguing with. He almost never wins those.

“You can talk?!” Uzumaki shouts, jumping up to his feet. He whirls on Sasuke and accuses, “Why didn’t you tell us he could talk?!”

 _For this exact reason._ Sasuke thinks, but just lets out another grunt. He won’t show his amusement, but he does think their expressions were kind of hilarious. Kenta clearly agrees, judging by the amused huff.

Kakashi blinks twice, then sighs. “Fuck me,” He mutters, soft enough that Sasuke can barely hear it. Then he clears his throat and tells them about the test they have to take tomorrow, the one that could send him back to the academy. The one that could ruin everything he’s worked for so far.

Because technically until they pass this test, they aren’t genin yet.

 

Sasuke’s bad luck clearly hasn’t run out yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so i'm probably gonna skip a bunch of things, bc this fic is about character development + relations > plot. if that ain't your cup of tea, i apologize!!
> 
> ALSO: im looking for a beta so hmu if ur down for that!!
> 
> * * *
> 
> bloopers:
> 
> kakashi right before the bell test: hokage,,,,please,,,,don’t make me pass these fucking idiots,,,
> 
> \---------------------
> 
> kenta: your team is interesting, little alpha!  
> sasuke: literally just throw me into the fucking void if you have any mercy  
> kenta: time to learn to socialize with people!!!  
> sasuke: there has to be a strong enough ninja to kill me somewhere near here…
> 
> * * *
> 
> leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed!!


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning: this fic is gonna be darker from here on out. not super dark, at least not yet, but i’ll probably have to bump up that rating before long. i’ll add trigger warnings as the fic goes on.

They pass the Bell Test, but only by the skin of their teeth. Technically, if Sasuke really thinks about it, they failed the test but got the second test right, which is annoying.    
  
Kakashi lays out why they failed. Uzumaki rushed in without a plan, Haruno was essentially useless, and Sasuke didn’t want to be bothered with either of them, instead relying on Kenta. They went at him by themselves instead of a team, which isn’t wrong, but it still smarts when Kakashi berates them. So when Uzumaki is tied up on the post, stomach growling loudly, Sasuke gives him a bite of his lunch.    
  
He knows hunger, knows it intimately from the cold winters when there was little game in the forest and even Kenta only caught skinny rabbits. Shino stopped by two nights a week, bringing leftovers when his face became too gaunt. Sasuke, as a thank you, didn’t tell him about the worms and beetles he had to eat to stop the stomach pains. His mysterious gift-giver gave him tomatoes a few times every year as well, once every year on his birthday, and once on the date of the massacre.    
  
Sasuke treasured them every time, eating them slowly. They tasted better then the regular ones. He’s pretty sure Kenta knows who their friend is, but he hasn’t said. That means they aren’t an enemy, which is good enough for him.    
  
Haruno doesn’t know hunger like he does, but after Sasuke feeds the blond, she does too. She might have just done it because he did it, but somehow he thinks that’s giving her too little credit. He’s pretty sure that if he didn’t, she would’ve, judging by the side-glances she kept giving him.    
  
When they officially become a team, as Kenta and Sasuke walk side by side, Kenta speaks up. “Your team has potential.” He says, making Sasuke wrinkle his nose.

  
  
“I don’t see how.” He replies grimly, shaking his head once. His mouth twists into a scowl as he admits, “Kakashi was right. We didn’t act like a team. I don’t even like either of them. Haruno —“ he corrects himself after seeing Kenta’s disapproving look. “Sakura is pushy. She makes me uncomfortable. She’s focused on me, but not even me, because she doesn’t know me. Naruto is loud and annoying and seems to hate me for no reason.”    
  
Kenta hums low in his throat, staring at him from the corner of his eye. “No reason, huh?” He asks gently, and against his will, Sasuke flushes a bit.    
  
“...every time he tried to challenge me in the academy, I might have taken him down harder than I had to...but that’s because he was always bothering me! He wouldn’t get it through his head that I just didn’t care!” He spits out, fists clenching tightly by his sides. “And you saw them trying to take down Kakashi! They’re barely genin level! Kakashi passed us because of his test requirements, but if it was someone else with a different set of values, we could’ve failed.”   
  
Kenta lets out a puff of air as Sasuke hops the gate that leads to their territory. The hinges are rusted and the grass is overgrown to the point where it won’t open anymore. Kenta follows him over with a graceful leap.   
  
“Ah, but they can be taught, like you were.” Kenta says, watching as Sasuke unstraps his claws and puts them in their tent. “Your team, Little Alpha, is a mess. You need to do your part in fixing it.”    


  
  
Sasuke scowls as he uses a small Fireball Jutsu to enflame the dry wood they have stacked on the firepit. The Fireball is small and a light red. Itachi’s used to be blue. He shrugs that thought off immediately, instead choosing to focus on Kenta’s words. “Why do I have to be the one to do it?” He asks sullenly. “And why do you even care about them? Ain’t pack.”  
  
“Aren’t.” Kenta corrects mildly, hazel eyes narrowing. The crackling of the wood burning is loud in the background. “And I don’t care about them. But I do care about you, and your safety.” He lays down then, massive paws flexing before getting comfortable. “Let me tell you about your shinobi ways, pup. To the ninja, the mission must always come first. Correct?”   
  
Sasuke nods, unsure of where Kenta is going with this.  
  
“This means if anyone on your team is hurt, including you, it will not matter. It won’t matter if you are captured or tortured or injured. The shinobi on your team will have to put the mission first and the individuals second. That is the way of the shinobi.” Kenta says, and Sasuke blanches.   
  
He doesn’t like Sakura or Naruto, not at all, but to picture them in the hands of an enemy being hurt and unable to help them  makes something squirm in his stomach. “Why are you saying this shit?” He breathes out, ignoring the way his voice is shaking slightly. Kenta softens a bit, eyes sad, as if the weight of the world is heavy on his shoulders.   
  
“Because this will happen if your team cannot be strong. It is a dark world out there, Little Alpha, and humans are cruel. By making your team stronger, it makes you stronger and safer. Less chances of injuries, less chances of losing battles. Do you understand now?”   
  
He does. Kenta, as always, is trying to protect him. While Sasuke looks at the present, Kenta is looking five steps into the future. “I understand, Alpha.” He agrees quietly, curling into the wolf’s personal space. “It’s like...if we had weak ninjas, our village would be taken over completely, because not everyone is strong. It wouldn’t matter if there were five strong shinobi if there were two hundred weak ones. Right?”   
  
Kenta nuzzles his head in pride. “Exactly right, pup. Your team is only as strong as the weakest member.”

 

If that’s true, which it sounds like it is, then his team is fucked. “Okay.” He says, grabbing a stick and poking the fire, watching the embers jump up into the sky, little sparks of red melting into black. “I’ll fix it.” Because the thought of anyone on his team getting hurt makes him sick to his stomach. Instead of his mother and father laying on the ground in a pool of blood, it’ll be Naruto and Sakura, blue and green eyes pale and dead. And what if Kenta gets hurt too? Will Sasuke have to leave him? No. He would never. He’ll just have to make sure they’ll never be in a position to get hurt.   
  
Sasuke wants to be strong to protect his pack. Naruto and Sakura and Kakashi aren’t pack, but...he thinks he might want to get stronger to protect them too. He won’t allow them to be weak.   
  
“I’ll fix it.” He repeats firmly, voice finally steadying. It’s as much of a vow to himself as it is to Kenta.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, after Sasuke eats, he decides it’s time to start making good on his promise. “We’ll get Naruto first, then Sakura. I’ll have to talk to them both individually before we train.” He says, his face scrunching up in displeasure. He’s about ninety percent sure that Sakura is going to cry, and he’s positive that Naruto is going to be aggressive for no reason.    
  
Kenta hums in approval at his plan, and they walk in silence. Sasuke knows where Naruto lives - it’s the same apartment complex where he would’ve had to live too, if Uchiha’s weren’t required by law to live in the compound. Orphans usually live in the orphanage until age 6, then if they want to be civilians they get adopted into a civilian family, or if they want to go to the academy, get sent to a shinobi family. Usually one of the Clan Heads will take them in and give them to a close relative, like an aunt or a cousin.   
  
He remembers meeting one of those orphans, a pale boy with a crooked nose and light brown hair. Being a Uchiha in name only didn’t stop his blood from being spilt that night.   
  
Nobody took in Naruto, which is something that strikes him as odd. But at least the Uchiha’s didn’t, or else there would’ve been one more body to burn.   
  
He shakes off the melancholy thoughts and focuses instead on the neighborhood. It’s a civilian part, and not the kind with the nice shops. No, this is the underbelly of Konoha, where there are women wearing cloying perfumes and men who are smoking different things with mean scowls on their faces. Prostitutes and drug-dealers. The buildings aren’t completely falling apart, but it’s obvious no one really cares about them. 

  
  
There’s a bar right next to Naruto’s apartment, and Sasuke can hear the music playing from the other side of the road. Apparently it’s open even now, early in the morning with the sun beating down on them. Deep voices carry from the inside as the door opens and closes.    
  
Surprisingly, the civilians here seem unfazed by the massive wolf that walks beside them. But then again, Sasuke muses as he opens the door to the apartment complex and starts walking up the stairs, it seems that in this part of the village, turning a blind eye to unsettling things is probably the easiest way to survive.    
  
Naruto has been living in this part of town since he was six years old.    
  
Kenta is growling at his side as if coming to the same unsettling realization. This side of town is dangerous, dangerous in different ways that shinobi are used to. Sasuke would be fine living here, because he has Kenta, but who does Naruto have?    
  
He finally gets to the second floor and knocks on a pale, worn looking door. He shares a look with Kenta, who looks irritated. There’s a small, lingering scent of smoke and perfume in the air. If Sasuke can smell it so clearly, it must be strong to Kenta’s poor nose.   
  
“Didn’t I tell you to leave him alone?!“ The door swings open and an aggressive voice meets him, but the person behind the door isn’t Naruto. It’s Iruka. The teacher blinks twice in surprise before giving Sasuke a small smile. “Ah, sorry about that. Come on in, I assume you’re here for Naruto?” Iruka asks, stepping aside to make way for Sasuke.    
  
“Hn.” He grunts in reply, keeping a wary eye on the man. Despite him teaching Sasuke for a few years, he knows almost nothing about him. The only one-on-one interaction they’ve ever had was when Iruka had sternly told him he had to bring already cooked meat for lunch, since cooking it in the academy’s yard was apparently not allowed. Kenta gives him an amicable nod before starting to sniff around the small apartment.   
  
“Smells like salt and dirt.” Kenta says after a minute of the two humans staring at each other in silence, making Iruka jump in his seat.    
  
“He can talk?” Iruka asks incredulously, eyebrows furrowing in worry. “Sasuke, is your wolf a summons? That’s a hard jutsu for someone your age-“   
  
“He’s not my wolf.” Sasuke interrupts impatiently, “If anything, I’m his pup. And no, he’s not a summons.” Sasuke doesn’t have the chakra reserves for that, and even if he did, there’s no one to give him a contract. If he wanted to find one, he would have to go through every house in the compound to try and find one.    
  
Iruka opens his mouth, probably to ask more questions, but a slam of a door cuts him off before he can start.    
  
“Woo! I’m ready for Ichiraku, Iruka-sensei! I’m gonna get like five bowls of miso- Oi!! What are you doing here?!” Naruto shouts, pointing his finger at him in accusation. “No bastards allowed in my apartment!”    
  
“Naruto!” Iruka reprimands, but honestly, Sasuke has heard worse. He did come into Naruto’s territory, it would be a surprise if the blond wasn’t hostile.    
  
“We need to talk.”

  
  


“Pff!” Is the response he gets, which he isn’t exactly surprised about. “Talk about what?! What a jerk you are? I can talk about that all day long, believe it!”    
  
Sasuke closes his eyes and counts to five inside his head. He’s trying, and this is the thanks he gets? Unbelievable.   
  
“Naruto.” Iruka interrupts, his eyes flicking between the two of them. “I’ll meet you at Ichiraku’s in...thirty minutes. You can talk with Sasuke.” He gives a polite nod to him and then leaves, ignoring Naruto’s whining.    
  
The stern tone he uses reminds him of Itachi, and for a moment he hates Iruka and Naruto and himself, but he takes a deep breath and it passes.    
  
It always passes.   
  
“What are you doing here?” Naruto asks, deflating a bit. The hostility seems to have ebbed, and in it’s place is confusion and caution. “I was ‘posed to get ramen with Iruka-sensei. You’re making me late.” He says, pouting a bit, but his blue eyes are trained on Sasuke. Kenta is still exploring the apartment, making disgusted sounds in his throat. Kenta hates closed spaces, maybe even more than Sasuke does.    
  
Sasuke has a whole speech that he planned out. Some general stuff about teamwork and strength and professionalism, but instead what comes out is a sharp, “Why do you hate me so much?”    
  
Naruto blinks and leans back, scowling. “Wha-“   
  
Sasuke interrupts him with a handwave. “No, seriously, because I don’t remember doing anything to you. I didn’t talk to anybody at the academy, and that includes you. But one day you just decided we were gonna be rivals or enemies or something, and now we’re on a team together, which means whatever problems with me you got, you need to get over them.”    
  
Naruto’s scowl deepens. “Nah, teme, don’t act like it’s all me! I’ve seen you roll your eyes at me more times than I can count. When we were spar, you throw the fact that you’re better than me in my face! You act like everyone is beneath you, and that pisses me off! Even when you act like everybody is gum on your shoe, people still fawn over you like you’re hot shit, and I don’t get it! Why do they think you’re so special? Is it ‘cuz you’re an orphan? ‘Cuz I’m an orphan too, and they treat me like dirt!”    
  
His voice steadily raises as he goes on, and after he says that, he just slumps a little, as if being angry is a chore and now he’s drained.   
  
Sasuke pauses, taking his words in. It’s an uncomfortable feeling to know that Naruto isn’t exactly wrong. Sasuke does think he’s better than his classmates, at least a little bit. He’s gotten used to being the prodigy, the one on top, untouchable. It’s just that he doesn’t see the others trying.   
  
“You play pranks a lot, and it doesn’t look like you take anything seriously.” Sasuke says after a beat. “I didn’t like that. In the academy, you didn’t pay attention to anything and were more focused on pranking people than what we were learning. I saw that as disrespectful. So when you kept challenging me, I beat you. Maybe I am arrogant. But to me, all I see are people who don’t look like they’re taking anything seriously.”    
  
Naruto tilts his head and studies him for a moment. Finally he replies softly, “I can’t read too good. And I didn’t understand what they were tryna explain. I asked for help a couple of times, but all I got was yelled at. So I said screw it and stopped trying. Still passed though!” At that, he grins, but it seems shaky and weak.   
  
Sasuke takes this in. That really does explain a lot. If he didn’t have Kenta, he might be in the same situation as him.    
  
“I don’t ask for the attention I get, you know.” Sasuke says. “I hate it. Everyone either looks at me like I’m going to snap, or they look at me with pity. The fangirls make me uncomfortable. They don’t know anything about who I really am. Nobody in the academy even knows about Kenta, except you, Sakura and Shino. Sure, there’s a bunch of rumors, but they don’t even know the truth. Nobody even knows he can talk.”    
  
Naruto watches him with bright blue eyes for a moment, as if evaluating him, then softly says, “You’re alone. Just like me.”

  
  
_Yes._ Sasuke thinks, his whole being aching for just a moment. _I lived in a clan of over nine hundred people with the same last name, and now it’s only me and Kenta. I used to have aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. I used to have a brother._   
  
Judging by Naruto’s stare, the blond seems to understand what he isn’t saying. Sasuke fights back the instinctive defensive retort and instead takes a deep breath. That’s enough of the mushy shit.   
  
“We’re a team now, Naruto. You really want to be Hokage?”   
  
“Yes!” Naruto cheers, and the solemn moment is swept away. Kenta is looking at him with an approving gaze, eyes proud.    
  
“Then let me help you. We’re teammates now. I want to be a good teammate.” And he does, he realizes quickly. Even if Kenta did push him here, he is the one who is choosing to try.   
  
“Wha - really?” Naruto asks, eyes wide. Sasuke nods once, a heated flush traveling from his neck to his ears. He stands up and starts walking to the door, hearing the small clacking of Kenta’s nails on the hardwood floor as his wolf follows him.    
  
“Tomorrow.” He throws over his shoulder. “At dawn, meet me at the compound. We’re going to train together.” And then he slips out of the apartment before the enthusiastic blond can do something unforgivable, like hug him or cry.   
  
“Proud of you, pup.” Kenta says after they leave and start walking back to the nicer parts of the village. “Look at you, exercising your friend skills.”    
  
“Social skills.” Sasuke corrects, shoving his hands into his pockets. “And we aren’t friends. Just teammates. Allies.”    
  
“Mhm.” Kenta says, amusement clear in his tone. “Of course.”    
  
“Besides, the next one is going to be harder.” He replies glumly. The next house he’s going to is Haruno’s.    


 

* * *

  
  


 

The Haruno house is the polar opposite of Naruto’s apartment. It’s in between two other houses, and the outside is properly maintained. The light tan paint job is fresh, the windows have white blinds in them, and there are flower boxes resting on the windowsill. 

  
The small yard has a sakura tree in it. A few stray flowers float on the breeze, one landing on Kenta’s nose. He snorts and shakes his head to dislodge it, making Sasuke laugh at him under his breath.    
  
He doesn’t want to go up to the door and knock on it, but it’s not just because he’s dreading his talk with Sakura. He doesn’t want to see a glimpse of domestic life, not when his was taken from him so cruelly. Inside of that house lives a mother and a father. A family.    
  
Kenta moves closer to him, offering him support, and he accepts it gladly by putting a hand in his fur, hanging onto it lightly.    
  
He might not have a family anymore, but he has a Kenta, and that’s almost as good. He has a pack of two.    
  
Gathering his strength, he walks up to the front door and knocks twice, rapping his knuckles on the hard wood.    
  
“Coming!” A woman’s voice calls from inside, and a moment later the door is opening to a smiling middle-aged woman. Her hair is a soft pastel red, but her eyes are sharp green.    
  
He can see the resemblance. This must be Sakura’s mother.    
  
He wonders if he looks like his mother too. It is unfortunate that he has partially forgotten her face.

  
  
“Ah, hello! Are you here for Sakura, sweetheart?” She asks, making eye contact with him. She doesn’t look at Kenta. He nods once, and she smiles at him, but it’s clearly fake. “Hold on one second.” Then she shuts the door in his face.   
  
Sasuke blinks once, then frowns at the door. “Rude.” He mutters to Kenta, who huffs in agreement. He hears muffled voices yelling at each other through the walls and shifts awkwardly on his feet, putting his hands back inside of his pockets.    
  
A few moments later, the door swings open and Sakura steps out, a soft blush on her cheeks. “Sasuke-kun! Wha-what are you doing here?” She looks happy to see him. Unfortunately, he’s going to stomp all over that happiness in about two minutes.    
  
He really isn’t looking forward to this.    
  
“We need to talk.” He says gruffly, averting his eyes to the side. His bangs hang in front of his face.    
  
“Okay! Here, or...?” She chirps, making him wrinkle his nose.    
  
“Here.” He replies firmly, hunching his shoulders a little bit. If she cries here, no one except nosy neighbors will see her weakness. It’s the only kind thing he can do for her.   
  
“Listen.” He says once, then trails off as his mind suddenly becomes blank. Fuck. Honestly, the reason why Sakura likes him is beyond him. He’s a mess, inside and out.    
  
He clears his throat and starts over, avoiding the hope that he knows is shining on her face. “Ah. Uh. We’re a team now, Sakura, and that means I really need to set this straight with you.”    
  
Sakura gives a little hum of encouragement, leaning a bit closer, and as a response he takes a step back. “Ah.” He stalls for a moment, taking a deep breath in and out, then finally says, “Listen. You have a lot of potential as a kunoichi. But - but I don’t. Like you. Romantically.”    
  
He can feel Kenta’s exasperation. Sakura is turning a bright red. Ah, he definitely fucked this up.    
  
“Is it...is it because you like Ino?” She asks, tears forming in her eyes.    
  
Sasuke fights off his aggravation. Honestly, this is partly the reason why he doesn’t like her. He doesn’t much appreciate being a trophy, a thing to fight over. But to say that would be to rub salt in a still-stinging wound, and he’s not heartless. “I don’t like anyone. Like that. Don’t know if I ever will. It’s nothing to do with you as a person, you’re - probably good? I just...” His hands clench into fists inside of his pocket.    
  
“Oh.” She says, and she still looks upset, but not nearly as devastated as she did before. “So...I didn’t do anything wrong?”    
  
“No.” Sasuke lies through his teeth and swiftly changes the subject. “I would like to be teammates though. Allies. To help each other get stronger. I mean, no offense, but the Bell Test was a disaster. I want to be better than that. Don’t you?”   
  
Sakura takes a deep breath, staring at the ground in front of her. He feels badly for her, but not enough to take back the words he said.    
  
“Yes.” Sakura says finally, bringing her head back up. A new look is in her eyes, instead of adoration it’s something like determination, and she gives him a shaky smile. “I’m sorry. I know I’m a little - enthusiastic, at times. If you want me to be a strong ally, then that’s what I’ll do.”    
  
That...wasn’t exactly the motivation Sasuke was going for, but fuck it. He’s had enough of talking for the day.   
  
“Okay. Meet me at the compound in the morning. We’re going to train, as a team.” And with that, he quickly walks away, leaving Sakura standing in her front yard.    
  
He looks back once he’s at the end of the street, squinting to make sure she’s okay. She’s gone inside though, but something tells Sasuke she’ll be fine.    
  
“You could’ve handled that better.” Kenta says, making Sasuke shove him lightly.    
  
“Piss off.” He groans, “I was trying my best!”    
  
Kenta snorts and doesn’t reply.

 

  
  


* * *

 

 

  
  
They slowly come into their own as a team, or at least get more comfortable with each other.    
  
Naruto has less hostility towards Sasuke, and Sasuke is annoyed less with the blonds practical jokes.    
  
Sakura is making an effort too, because the more time she spends with Sasuke the more she gets to know the real him. Likewise, Sasuke sees the woman she’s going to be underneath the fangirl he was blinded by.    
  
Sakura and Sasuke help Naruto with reading and understanding things they have gone through in the academy. Naruto and Sasuke help Sakura with her stamina and survival training, both in the wild and in the city.    
  
They help him learn strategic thinking, battle plans and the like. They also slowly teach him how to be more approachable, something they insist he’ll need to know in the future.    
  
Kenta is the one who teaches them about their chakra. He has a unique viewpoint, seeing as he’s an animal, so he teaches them how to meditate and feel the chakra inside of them.    
  
Sakura has the least amount, and when she learns this, she immediately goes to the library and looks up how to strengthen her reserves.    
  
Sasuke has a moderate amount, but he’s never been satisfied with being average, so he works on his too.   
  
Naruto is a surprise. The boy is practically bursting with it, and when he says this to Kenta, the wolf gets a speculative look in his eye, but doesn’t say anything about it no matter how much Sasuke badgers him about it.   
  
And while they’re training together, Kakashi pops in every now and then to give them D-ranks. Their teacher has had a very hands-off approach to them so far, which is kind of a shame, because Sasuke thinks he might like him. He hopes that will change soon.

 

The weeks pass like this, until they get tired of catching that damn cat, and the Hokage grants them with a C-rank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kakashi: would you say you’re an independent person?  
> sasuke: [looks at kenta]  
> kenta: [nods]  
> sasuke: yes, i’d say so
> 
> * * *
> 
>  
> 
> leave some kudos or comment if you enjoyed! also still looking for a beta, hmu on tumblr @missxuniverse

**Author's Note:**

> of course sasuke is gonna be ooc for a while, because he’s an eight year old who watched his clan get slaughtered. poor boy has some issues. but that’s okay, we’ll work on it! 
> 
> leave some kudos or comments if you enjoy!


End file.
